ON THE ONTOLOGICAL STATUS OF IDEAS

Four recent turns (realist, processual, holistic and reflexive) in soc ial thought are discussed and related to the four dimensional schema o f dialectical realism the author has recently outlined. It is shown ho w ontology matters, and indeed is not only necessary but inevitable, T he nature of the reality of ideas (of different types) is demonstrated and the most prevalent mistakes in the metatheory of ideas and ideati on analysed. The significance of categorical realism and the character of those specific types if ideas known as 'ideologies' are then discu ssed. Finally some good and bad dialectical connections of ideas and r elated phenomena are sketched.